A number of known harnesses exist for use with breathing apparatuses, where the harness typically incorporates a rigid mounting plate or housing for receiving a cylinder containing fluid (such as air or any gas suitable for breathing) under super-atmospheric pressure for breathing. Straps typically hold the cylinder in place. The cylinders may be large and heavy, since they must contain enough breathing fluid under pressure to support the breathing of the user for some time. Such a harness is worn by the user in such a way that the heavy pressurised cylinder is carried on the user's back with a number of supports, such as shoulder straps and a waist belt ensuring that the harness, and therefore the cylinder, is held in place securely. The user wears a facemask, and a line conveys fluid from the cylinder to the facemask, with suitable regulation of the pressure, so that the user can breathe the fluid.
Such prior art harnesses are particularly useful for long duration, planned excursions into hazardous conditions, where a large, heavy cylinder of breathing gas is needed. However, there are circumstances in which a large, heavy, bulky cylinder is not necessary and in which, therefore, it is desirable to provide a smaller cylinder. In such cases a smaller, lighter harness is advantageous. For example, it may be desirable to provide a number of emergency sets of breathing apparatus, for use by personnel in case of a fire, or leak of hazardous chemicals, in a factory or manufacturing plant. In an emergency, the workers would enter a storage area, and put on a set of breathing apparatus. Clearly such action must be taken quickly, for the workers' safety, and therefore the harnesses must be easy to put on. Ideally, such harnesses should not be bulky so as to avoid taking up a large amount of storage space.
In another example, if the use of the breathing apparatus is planned but the foreseen usage time is relatively short, such as, for example, if an operative must use the apparatus whilst cleaning a chemical vat, it is unnecessary for the operative to wear an uncomfortable, rigid harness with a heavy long-duration cylinder mounted thereon. Furthermore, the user might be required to enter a relatively confined space, or negotiate an obstacle. In such cases a full-size cylinder mounted on a rigid harness might unduly hinder or prevent the operative's progress or even his escape.
In prior attempts to address such needs harnesses comprising a number of straps without a rigid plate have been proposed, for use with small cylinders. Such harnesses would be less heavy and cumbersome than the rigid harnesses discussed above, and would require less storage space. However, such prior harnesses as have been proposed are not without problems.
For example, it is not immediately obvious how to don a lightweight, flimsy harness, the various straps of which may be overlying each other, leaving the harness flat and shapeless in appearance. Time spent considering how to put on the harness might be better used effecting an escape.